Writing Center Faculty

The Writing Center is staffed by faculty from the English department at SMU, which allows each of these consultants to have insight into the writing processes and instruction that students receive in undergraduate courses like Writing and Reasoning (WRTR), writing tag courses, and writing in the majors. In addition, each instructor brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to help address student work in a variety of academic fields as indicated below. Where ever you are in the writing process, we are here to help. Appointments are available in Canvas, or you can drop-in for a writing lab or drop-in hours, which are listed in the Writing Center Schedule. 

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Lydia Allen

Director of The Writing Center

My deep curiosity about the human mind and its development, evolution, and adaptation across environments led me to study the human condition from many angles. I completed degrees in psychology and neuroscience at Texas A&M and Columbia University, respectively. I also completed degrees in English/Philosophy and History of Ideas at University of Texas at Austin and UT Dallas, respectively. I love working with students as they move through the world of ideas, motivated by wonder and curiosity.

Specialties:

  • Subject-specific writing in history, philosophy, literary/film studies, and scientific humanities
  • Technical, scientific, or medical writing
  • Working with students with learning differences
  • Writing for applications
  • Research and Writing lab
  • Faculty Consultations
 
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Vicki Hill

Writing Center Faculty

After earning my BA in English from the University of California at Berkeley and my PhD in English and American Studies from the University at Buffalo, I spent my SMU career in a variety of roles, many of which, fortunately, kept bringing me back to undergraduates and their many writing projects.  I genuinely enjoy conversations with students at every stage of the writing process, whether it’s turning a question into a topic, revising a thesis in support of newly-discovered evidence, shaping and organizing paragraphs to make an argument more effective, or refining sentences so that ideas emerge with impact, clarity, and grace.

Specialties:

  • American Studies
  • WRTR
  • Writing in the broad humanities
 

Shon Phillips

Coordinator of the Writing Center
I am passionate about teaching writing. Before transitioning into full-time, post-secondary teaching, I taught both middle and high school English.  As an instructor, I work diligently to provide my students with a learning experience which they will find both relevant and engaging. My approach is often rooted in real-world experiences. 

I enjoy building a rapport with my students that allows me to help them progress as writers and critical thinkers. The phrase "I don't know" is always challenged in my classroom. My belief is that EVERY student has something to share, and it is my job to help them realize that their voice has relevance and purpose.


Specialties:
  • African American Literature
  • Literature, broadly
  • WRTR

Ann Shattles

Ann Shattles

Writing Center Faculty

After I completed my undergraduate degree in English at the University of Texas at Dallas, I came to SMU to study in the MA Program in English.  As a Teaching Fellow, I taught my first writing class at SMU in the fall of 1985, and I remain a happy Mustang! Since then, I’ve worked with SMU students at all levels of the first-year writing sequence, as well as Honors DISC, and as an A-LEC tutor and Writing Center faculty member.  For me, nothing’s better than working with students as they examine texts, refine their own perceptions, and then structure their ideas to communicate their insights to a reader.  I’m constantly excited to help empower student writers to develop their ability to craft their work so they create not only an answer to an assignment but also an energetic representation of their insights.

Specialties:

  • WRTR
  • WRTR Honors
  • Introduction to Academic Writing
  • Graduate School Personal Statements 
  • Writing in the broad humanities
 

Richard Treat

Writing and Reasoning Lecturer
Having taught English in the United States as well as in Mexico, Morocco, and South Korea, Richard enjoys working with people from different cultural backgrounds. He particularly enjoys teaching rhetoric and academic writing to the international students at SMU, using pop culture and media theory to analyze U.S. culture. He has a BA in Spanish, an MA in linguistics, and a graduate certificate in TESOL from the University of North Texas, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in literature and creative writing at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Specialties:
Rhetoric and Composition
English as a Second Language WRTR
Linguistics 
Ecocriticism and Speculative Fiction